Navigating Distance and Traditional Higher Education: Online faculty experiences

dc.creator	Alice G. Yick
dc.creator	Pam Patrick
dc.creator	Amanda Costin
dc.date	2005-07-01T00:00:00Z
dc.date.accessioned	2015-07-20T22:19:47Z
dc.date.available	2015-07-20T22:19:47Z
dc.identifier	1492-3831
dc.identifier	https://doaj.org/article/bd83df58199044e9b9d1be8c04be47a0
dc.identifier.uri	http://evidence.thinkportal.org/handle/123456789/19868
dc.description	The academic culture of higher educational institutions is characterized by specific pedagogical philosophies, assumptions about rewards and incentives, and values about how teaching is delivered. In many academic settings, however, the field of distance education has been viewed as holding marginal status. Consequently, the goal of this qualitative study was to explore faculty members’ experiences in a distance education, online university while simultaneously navigating within a traditional environment of higher education. A total of 28 faculty members participated in a threaded, asynchronous discussion board that resembled a focus group. Participants discussed perceptions about online teaching, working in an institution without a traditional tenure system, and the role of research in distance education. Findings indicated that online teaching is still regarded as less credible; however, participants also noted how this perception is gradually changing. Several benchmarks of legitimacy were identified for online universities to adopt in order to be viewed as credible. The issue of tenure still remains highly debated, although some faculty felt that tenure will be less crucial in the future. Finally, recommendations regarding attitudinal shifts within academic circles are described with particular attention to professional practice, program development, and policy decision-making in academia.
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	Athabasca University
dc.relation	http://www.irrodl.org/content/v6.2/yick.html
dc.relation	https://doaj.org/toc/1492-3831
dc.rights	CC BY
dc.source	International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, Vol 6, Iss 2 (2005)
dc.subject	distance education
dc.subject	online education
dc.subject	online faculty experiences
dc.subject	academia
dc.subject	tenure
dc.subject	Special aspects of education
dc.subject	LC8-6691
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	DOAJ:Education
dc.subject	DOAJ:Social Sciences
dc.subject	Special aspects of education
dc.subject	LC8-6691
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	DOAJ:Education
dc.subject	DOAJ:Social Sciences
dc.subject	Special aspects of education
dc.subject	LC8-6691
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	Special aspects of education
dc.subject	LC8-6691
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	Special aspects of education
dc.subject	LC8-6691
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.title	Navigating Distance and Traditional Higher Education: Online faculty experiences
dc.type	article